Lacan (The Real, Symbolic & Imaginary)

[MrWolf]

I have been interested in Žižek for some years on a youtube level, and now going a bit deeper partaking in a Zizek reading group with philosophers routed in the Slovenian school, where Zizek is the best known Philosopher. Žižek builds heavily on Lacan. So to understand a lot of Žižek´s thoughts partly understanding some of Lacan´s work is a great help.

In my investigations I found this little "cocktail party version" of Lacan´s triad to be a very interesting introduction to a thinker who seems to be very difficult to understand at times. He seams to speak very well into a dual / non-dual understanding in this video reading of him..

 

Edited September 10, 2019 by MrWolf

[Guest]

Have fun reading Lacan! He is very interesting but extremely difficult to comprehend

[Leo Gura]

Your time would be better spent doing spiritual practices than deciphering Lacan.

But whatever. If you like to intellectually torture yourself, have at it.

[docs20]

On 17/12/2019 at 6:18 AM, Leo Gura said:

Your time would be better spent doing spiritual practices than deciphering Lacan.

But whatever. If you like to intellectually torture yourself, have at it.

Leo, aside from the enlightment part, do you think that Lacan's and psychoanalisis model of reality is worth it to understand social dynamics and yourself?

[Leo Gura]

On 12/24/2019 at 4:20 AM, docs20 said:

Leo, aside from the enlightment part, do you think that Lacan's and psychoanalisis model of reality is worth it to understand social dynamics and yourself?

Personally I don't like psychoanalysis. I think it's more deluded than true. There are certainly some bits of truth in it, but also plenty of nonsense.

There are much better resources. You don't want to end up like Slavoj Zizek: academically brilliant, but spiritually dumb as a rock.

[tsuki]

On 31.12.2019 at 5:02 AM, Leo Gura said:

Personally I don't like psychoanalysis. I think it's more deluded than true. There are certainly some bits of truth in it, but also plenty of nonsense.

There are much better resources. You don't want to end up like Slavoj Zizek: academically brilliant, but spiritually dumb as a rock.

Would you mind elaborating? Which parts of psychoanalysis do you find to be deluded?

[Leo Gura]

On 1/8/2020 at 2:30 AM, tsuki said:

Would you mind elaborating? Which parts of psychoanalysis do you find to be deluded?

I'm no expert on it, but the whole theme of interpreting human actions as a desire for sex, sexual organs, hidden perverted sexual desires, and all the mother/father stuff is just way too overblown.

A being's actions are not primarily about sex, they are about self-survival. Sex is a tiny part of that. Psychoanalysis doesn't understand this and of course it doesn't understand spirituality, self-transcendence, nonduality, epistemology, or metaphysics.

Freud projected his own sexual perversions onto the world and saw in the world a reflection of his own neurotic shadow self. But just because Freud was that way doesn't mean we all are that way. In fact most of us are not.

I don't find Freud's theories useful for personal development or self-transcendence. There are much better frameworks. Most self-help frameworks are better. Go grab any random book in the self-help isle of the bookstore and you will get better and more useful advice for improving your life than by reading Freud. Any book on my book list will be far better.

[Apparition of Jack]

Just now, Leo Gura said:

I'm no expert on it, but the whole theme of interpreting human actions as a desire for sex, sexual organs, hidden perverted sexual desires, and all the mother/father stuff is just way too overblown.

A being's actions are not primarily about sex, they are about self-survival. Sex is a tiny part of that.

Not to mention it just reeks of projection IMO

[tsuki]

1 minute ago, Apparition of Jack said:

Not to mention it just reeks of projection IMO

Did you know that the term "projection" was invented by Freud, the father of psychoanalysis?

6 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

I'm no expert on it, but the whole them of interpreting human actions as a desire for sex, sexual organs, and all the mother/father stuff is just way too overblown.

A being's actions are not primarily about sex, they are about self-survival. Sex is a tiny part of that.

This mother/father stuff is the focus of psychology because child development is additive - new layers/functions are built on top of the old ones.
If child's needs aren't addressed by the parents, it will learn to satisfy them unconsciously by adopting coping mechanisms that will last a lifetime unless addressed. That is where the sex part comes in - these unconscious behaviors usually come bunched up with sex because it is an "adult" form of love.

If you are interested, you could look up Erik Erikson's model of psychosocial development. It looks similar to spiral dynamics.

[Leo Gura]

1 hour ago, tsuki said:

Did you know that the term "projection" was invented by Freud, the father of psychoanalysis?

He who smelt it dealt it

Did you know the Freud was deathly afraid that his father would catch him masturbating?

Is that really the guy you want to take advice from about how to be a healthy and fully-integrated human?

Quote

This mother/father stuff is the focus of psychology because child development is additive - new layers/functions are built on top of the old ones.
If child's needs aren't addressed by the parents, it will learn to satisfy them unconsciously by adopting coping mechanisms that will last a lifetime unless addressed. That is where the sex part comes in - these unconscious behaviors usually come bunched up with sex because it is an "adult" form of love.

Sure, but it's all overblown.

Your mother and father and sex are not that important.

Unless your mother or father molested you, it's not a big deal.

[tsuki]

1 minute ago, Leo Gura said:

Did you know the Freud was deathly afraid that his father would catch him masturbating?

Is that really the guy you want to take advice from about how to be a healthy and full-integrated human?

I don't mind. With this kind of logic, I would have to restrict my options to people I know absolutely no personal details of.

6 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

Sure, but it's all overblown.

Your mother and father and sex are not that important.

Not in my experience. Have a good day.